Black, Long, Straight-Haired Wu Hua (8000)

Xu Bai originally wanted to say a few more words, or reveal his identity.

But after this group of monks appeared, Xu Bai abandoned the idea and turned his gaze toward them with great interest.

In the Great Chu Kingdom, the monks in each temple wore robes with their own characteristics. While the general style remained the same, the colors and patterns were distinctly different.

The monks who were slowly walking towards us were wearing robes that were clearly different from those of the Vajra Temple, suggesting they came from other temples.

Why would monks from other temples come here in this desolate wilderness, and in such a large group? Xu Bai felt that if he revealed his identity, he might not get the answer he wanted, so he stood quietly to the side for the time being.

He even took a step back to make way for the group of monks behind him.

But sometimes, the more you try not to cause trouble, the more things seem to happen to you. For example, right now, Xu Bai was just planning to observe the situation and didn't intend to provoke anyone, but the group of monks passing by all turned their attention to him.

The leading monk then spoke to him.

"Where did this mortal come from, daring to run wild in the temple?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the leading monk raised his palm and pressed it directly against Xu Bai's chest. The speed and the angle were so vicious that an ordinary person would die instantly if struck by this palm.

The monks of Vajra Temple who had been guarding the entrance were shocked to see this, but they quickly realized what was happening and tried to step forward to stop the attack.

However, because they were moving too fast and were starting later, it was too late for them.

As Xu Bai watched the approaching palm strike, a dense dark light emanated from his body, enveloping him completely.

The next moment, a crisp cracking sound rang out, and the leading monk's hand broke apart inch by inch, white bone piercing out of his skin, blood dripping everywhere.

"Ah!"

The monk let out a terrible scream, clutching his injured arm and retreating.

But before he could take two steps back and stand next to Xu Bai, the first-grade puppet shrouded in black moved.

The first-rank puppet drew its long sword from its waist and swayed it gently in mid-air.

The monk, who was retreating, felt a chill on his neck. When he looked down, he found that his field of vision was gradually getting lower and lower. Soon he lost consciousness.

The head fell off and descended the steps, disappearing at the end in no time. Blood sprayed out and splattered all over the ground, and the remaining headless corpse lay directly on the stone steps.

The remaining monks looked at each other in disbelief; the scene had unfolded so quickly that they hadn't even had time to process it yet.

After they came to their senses, they heard Xu Bai's cold voice.

"Leave no one alive."

The next moment, the first-grade puppet moved like a ghost among the monks, and in less than a moment, the monks turned into a pile of corpses.

"Clang!"

The first-rank puppet stood with its sword sheathed, exuding a chilling aura.

Xu Bai glanced at the two Vajra Temple disciples guarding the door and said indifferently, "Not bad. I thought you would try to stop me. If that's the case, I'll have no choice but to kill you both as well."

Two disciples of the Vajra Temple shuddered. One of them said, "Benefactor, it was these monks from the Great Yue Kingdom who attacked first. They were in the wrong. Matters of the martial world should be settled in the martial world. Since you have made your move, you should be prepared to die. We have no reason to stop you."

"The Great Yue Kingdom?" Xu Bai sensed some additional information.

In this world, it's not only the Great Chu Kingdom that has temples; the Great Yue Kingdom has them too.

Although the situation is tense among the three parties, special entities like temples can still exchange goods and services through proper procedures.

Of course, the so-called exchange of goods only applies to those with lower levels of ability.

Just like those monks who were killed by Xu Bai earlier, their strength was not high. If they were strong, they would never have been able to enter the Great Chu Kingdom.

What puzzled Xu Bai was why the monks from the Great Yue Kingdom had come to the Vajra Temple.

Xu Bai frowned and asked, "What exactly happened at Vajra Temple?"

Upon hearing this, the two disciples of Vajra Temple looked at each other in bewilderment and did not reply.

Even if Xu Bai killed someone here, it was these monks who made the first move, and Vajra Temple wouldn't interfere; on the contrary, they would strongly approve of the situation.

But now that Xu Bai has asked this question, they all choose to keep quiet, because in their view, Xu Bai is not a member of the Buddhists community.

Seeing this, Xu Bai smiled slightly, and then, with the surge of his True Yuan Power, his appearance began to change, and he quickly returned to his original state.

Xu Bai took out the special token bearing the character "Xu" and paused it briefly in front of the two disciples of the Vajra Temple.

"Look carefully, see who I am."

The two disciples of Vajra Temple were slightly taken aback. When they saw the words on the token, Xu Bai's appearance, and the Black Saber Hundred Rends hanging at his waist, they instantly realized who the person in front of them was.

The next moment, they both quickly took a step back, bowed their heads, put their hands together, and gave a slight salute.

"This humble monk greets King Xu."

Excitement filled their eyes, especially after learning Xu Bai's identity; they could hardly contain their excitement.

Xu Bai put away the token and, seeing how excited the two were, couldn't help but ask, "Although I am now renowned, is there any need for you to be so agitated?"

He knew his own situation well and was very clear about his current status in the underworld.

He has stirred up the entire martial arts world, especially the younger generation, who are probably now seething with hatred for him.

After all, being too famous is something that people envy.

But the two monks were overly excited.

One of the disciples from the Vajra Temple raised his head and said, "We often hear Brother Wu Hua mention the Prince. Brother Wu Hua has told us all sorts of things about the Prince."

"The disciples of Vajra Temple admire martial arts, but they admire those who subdue demons and monsters even more, so we are quite excited."

Xu Bai: "..."

Okay, he finally figured it out. It turned out that Wu Hua had been praising him excessively in the temple, which led to the current situation.

However, now is not the time to dwell on these things. Xu Bai changed the subject and asked.

Wu Hua in the temple?

Now that Wu Hua is the Director of the Bureau of Surveillance, he must be very busy. Xu Bai wasn't sure if he could run into Wu Hua here, hence his question.

"Yes, he is," the disciple of Vajra Temple replied. "Since the discovery of the Sacred Buddha Remains, Brother Wu Hua has returned to the temple."

"The Sacred Buddha Remains, what is that?" Xu Bai asked.

Seeing the situation today, it was clear that it had nothing to do with the Sacred Buddha Remains, so he asked the question with a doubtful mind.

The disciple of Vajra Temple replied, "According to legend, it is the body of the first monk in the world. By chance, the abbot found it and left it in Vajra Temple."

"This time, the Saint Buddha's body suddenly showed an abnormality, and began to grow flesh and blood. The abbot could not find any clues, so he could only open the mountain gates wide and let all the monks who could come see it."

"Hoping to solve the problem, I didn't expect that even the Great Yue Kingdom would send people. Actually, their arrival is useless; they can only send some disciples with low strength."

After listening, Xu Bai fell into deep thought.

The body of the first monk in the world?

This is truly explosive news.

Anything labeled "first" becomes extremely important, especially since the corpse has shown unusual signs of abnormality.

As mentioned earlier, the corpse should only be a skeleton, but it has grown flesh and blood.

Is this a resurgence, or is there some other hidden story? Xu Bai certainly couldn't figure it out, but that didn't stop him from wanting to go in and see for himself, to join in the fun.

"In that case, I'll go in and see Wu Hua."

Upon hearing this, Xu Bai thought there was nothing more to say, but to his surprise, the two disciples of the Vajra Temple looked troubled.

"Wu Hua?" Xu Bai asked, frowning.

The disciple of Vajra Temple shook his head. "Senior Brother Wu Hua is fine, but if Your Prince is going to see him, you'd better be prepared, because Senior Brother is quite different from before."

"What's the difference?" Xu Bai asked curiously.

Not long has passed since we parted ways in the Capital City. How much could have changed? The disciple of Vajra Temple said with a wry smile, "Your Prince, we can't explain this matter either. Prince come in with us."

As they spoke, one of the Vajra Temple disciples continued to guard the door, while the other disciple led Xu Bai inside.

Although Xu Bai found it strange, he followed behind without asking any further questions.

After passing through the mountain gate, there was still a series of stone steps leading directly to the top of the mountain. Xu Bai walked for about half an hour before finally reaching the top and entering the real Vajra Temple.

As soon as you step inside, you feel a sense of peace and tranquility.

It must be said that, as one of the Ten Great Temples of the Great Chu Kingdom, the Vajra Temple looks extremely solemn.

The temple was quiet and serene, with incense smoke swirling around it.

The temple is surrounded by lush trees and bamboo groves.

Some monks sat cross-legged, while others held prayer beads in their hands.

The palace is magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, and the pillars are gilded, presenting a solemn appearance.

Moreover, due to the invitation of temples from all over the world, although the place is extremely spacious and the courtyard is well-connected, it is already crowded.

"Your Prince, that's Senior Brother Wu Hua's room. You can go there directly." The disciple of Vajra Temple led Xu Bai to a room and pointed it out.

He then said he had important business to attend to and had to stay at the door, and left immediately.

After the disciple from the Vajra Temple left, Xu Bai stepped forward and knocked on the door.

After knocking for a long time, no one answered the door. Xu Bai scanned the room with his spiritual sense and found it to be empty.

"Where did that monk go?"

Xu Bai was puzzled.

Just as he thought this, he felt footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he saw Wu Hua walking towards him with a joyful expression.

Xu Bai reacted quickly, retreating rapidly, then raising his right hand and saying, "Stop!"

Wu Hua stopped abruptly, and a pretty girl stopped with Wu Hua.

The pretty young woman was holding Wu Hua's arm, looking extremely intimate. Most importantly, Wu Hua's appearance had changed drastically.

To be precise, his appearance hadn't changed, except that his shiny bald head was gone, replaced by long, black hair that fell to his chest.

"Benefactor Xu, why are you looking at this humble monk with such a strange gaze?" Wu Hua asked in confusion.

Xu Bai's lips twitched slightly. He gestured with his hand and said, "No, I wanted to ask, where's your big bald head?"

No wonder that disciple from Vajra Temple said that Wuhua had changed a lot. It's not just a lot, it's an earth-shattering change.

His bald head was gone, replaced by a full head of black hair. Could it be that Wu Hua had stopped being a monk? No, he was just referring to himself as a humble monk, so he was clearly still a monk.

But the most crucial question is why there's a pretty girl accompanying Wu Hua, and why this pretty girl is holding Wu Hua's arm. This seems rather illogical.

Upon hearing Xu Bai's question, Wu Hua immediately realized what was going on and quickly stepped forward to open his room door. "Benefactor Xu, let's go inside and talk."

Xu Bai nodded and followed Wu Hua into the room, where the pretty girl also went in.

After Wu Hua closed the door, Xu Bai turned his questioning gaze over.

Wu Hua did not explain immediately, but pointed to the pretty girl next to him and said with a smile, "Benefactor Xu, let me introduce you. This is A Xiu, my betrothed."

Although it was just a brief introduction, Xu Bai felt that if he had a cup of tea at this moment, he would definitely spit it out, because this brief introduction was just too explosive.

If it were just introducing a name or something else, everything would be fine. But Wu Hua inexplicably said, "This is his wife?"

What kind of trick is this? Isn't he afraid of getting beaten to death by the host?

Could it be that the Vajra Temple has opened up to this extent? Seeing Xu Bai's surprised expression, Wu Hua slowly explained what had happened.

"Here's what happened, Benefactor Xu, please allow me to explain..."

Inside the room, Wu Hua's voice rang out.

As Wu Hua recounted the events in detail, Xu Bai finally understood what had happened.

After everything came to light, Xu Bai only uttered one word.

"Six."

A single six.

Here's what happened: After leaving the Capital City, Wu Hua continued to carry out the duties of the Bureau of Surveillance, but was seriously injured during one mission.

At the time, his injuries were so severe that even walking became a problem. By sheer chance, he encountered the Yin Embroidery Master A Xiu and was rescued by A Xiu.

As for what kind of profession Yin Embroidery Master is, Wu Hua did not explain, but it is a special profession.

Then, something extraordinary happened.

The Vajra Temple itself advocates entering the world and then leaving it, and Wu Hua was deeply immersed in this philosophy at the time.

Love, when it comes in a torrent, is indeed extremely irrational, so Wu Hua simply couldn't resist it.

He once took the time to return to Vajra Temple, met with the abbot, and told his teacher and the abbot all his doubts.

The abbot, knowing Wu Hua's inner turmoil, told him to follow his heart.

From that time on, Wu Hua grew her hair long, transformed from an outstanding disciple of Vajra Temple into a lay disciple, and took A Xiu with her.

Having completely let go of his inner Wu Hua, Wuhua's strength has increased dramatically, and he now has one foot in the Transcendent Realm.

"That's roughly how things are," Wu Hua said, pressing his palms together.

This gesture, combined with Wu Hua's long hair, just looks out of place.

Xu Bai hesitated for a moment and said, "There's something I want to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Wu Hua smiled and said, "Benefactor Xu, we can talk about anything because of our relationship."

"Don't hold that girl back," Xu Bai said bluntly. "Your Vajra Temple emphasizes entering the mortal world and then leaving it. If you enter the mortal world now, what will you do when you leave it? Wouldn't that break that girl's heart?"

Wu Hua shook his head and said, "I have entered this mortal world, and what I have entered is love. What I will leave in the future is also love, but I will not hurt A Xiu."

Xu Bai stroked his chin, not understanding what he meant.

Wu Hua, "When love lasts long enough and is intense enough, it will transform into kinship. That is when I will transcend love and embrace kinship."

Hearing this, A Xiu, who was standing next to him, gripped Wu Hua's hand tightly, her face full of sweetness.

Xu Bai frowned.

He couldn't figure out Wu Hua's words were correct or not. After all, Buddhists teachings were complicated and he didn't understand them very well. But judging from the two people's behavior, it shouldn't be too bad. He had served as a reminder, so that was about it.

"Are you A Xiu?" Xu Bai looked at A Xiu again and asked, "Is your identity genuine? Or is there anything you're hiding?"

When Xu Bai said this, he used his divine soul power.

The next moment, A Xiu's face became blank, and he slowly shook his head, indicating that he had nothing to hide and no intention of harming Wu Hua.

Wu Hua didn't stop him. He knew what Xu Bai was doing and that Xu Bai was doing it for his own good.

Both of them had experienced life and death, so naturally this incident wouldn't create any distance between them.

Xu Bai obtained the information he wanted and then withdrew his divine soul.

A Xiu recovered, her face full of confusion, and looked at Xu Bai with a hint of fear in her eyes. "Your Prince, what happened to you...?"

She wasn't Wu Hua a prestigious family like Wuhua, nor was she one of those geniuses, so her mental resilience was much weaker, and she was somewhat afraid at this moment.

"It's nothing, I was just asking," Xu Bai said with a smile.

Wu Hua took A Xiu's hand and said, "Don't be afraid, Benefactor Xu is a good person."

A good person?

A Xiu looked completely bewildered.

Although she was neither a genius disciple nor from a prestigious family, she had heard various rumors circulating in the martial arts world.

Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder!

This is the Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder, how could he be a good person? However, seeing Xu Bai's smiling face, she felt confused.

At least judging from his smile, he still seems quite gentle.

Could it be that the rumors circulating in the martial arts world are false?

A Xiu muttered to himself.

Xu Bai didn't know what A Xiu was thinking. Listening to the noise outside, he returned to the main topic. "Wu Hua, what exactly is the situation with the Saint Buddha Skeleton at Vajra Temple?"

When the first disciple of Vajra Temple explained it to Xu Bai, there were some parts that he couldn't quite make sense of. Xu Bai felt that Wu Hua should be able to explain it better.

Wu Hua spread his hands and said, "This humble monk only knows that the Saint Buddha Skeleton have grown flesh and blood, but apart from growing flesh and blood, there are no other abnormalities, and only a section of flesh and blood of the little finger has grown."

"Is that so..." Xu Bai pondered, "I wonder if we can go and take a look."

To be honest, he was quite curious.

This might be considered an occupational hazard of his; after all, if he could trigger the progress bar on something so ancient, it would be a huge gain for him.

The older, more mysterious, and more powerful something is, the better its progress bar will be.

Although it was just a guess, he still had to verify it; after all, taking a look wouldn't hurt him.

Wu Hua, "Of course."

"Originally, we were going to wait a few more days to make the remains public so that everyone could understand them together."

"But if it is Benefactor Xu who wishes to watch, I believe the abbot will certainly agree."

Xu Bai's eyes lit up. "Can we go now?"

Wu Hua nodded, then turned to A Xiu and said, "Wait for me in the room. I'll take Benefactor Xu to see the abbot."

A Xiu obediently agreed and let go of Wu Hua's hand.

Wu Hua then led the way, stepping out of the room first.

Xu Bai followed behind Wu Hua.

After leaving the house, the two walked side by side in one direction, chatting occasionally.

Xu Bai could tell that Wu Hua was much more relaxed now than before.

Although Wu Hua didn't show it before, Xu Bai could always sense that there were still some constraints back then. Now that he has entered the mortal world, he feels completely at ease.

Perhaps this is why their strength has improved by leaps and bounds.

The two walked for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before arriving at a magnificent hall.

Only after Xu Bai stepped inside did he realize the profound cultural heritage of these Ten Great Temples.

The main hall was resplendent with gold and jade, and a large-bellied golden Buddha was laughing heartily. On both sides, various Buddhists statues were tall and lifelike.

Moreover, the hall also contains hundreds of golden Arhat statues, each with a different expression, beautiful shape, and exquisite craftsmanship.

It gives people a sense of splendor, as well as holiness and solemnity.

Besides these, there were many monks standing in the main hall.

These monks were all wearing different robes and looked quite old. Many monks outside did not come in, but those who were able to enter were mostly the leaders of the temple.

They came from all corners of the world to witness the extraordinary changes in the Saint Buddha Skeleton.

When Xu Bai and his companion walked in, they naturally attracted everyone's attention. All eyes turned to them, and some of the older monks frowned, their eyes filled with displeasure.

Some monks even spoke directly, causing Xu Bai and Wu Hua to stop in their tracks.

"Nonsense!" One of the old monks with a white beard stepped forward, blocking Xu Bai and Wu Hua, and angrily rebuked them, "The Saint Buddha Skeleton have not yet been displayed. How can a lay disciple like you step into such a sacred place?"

As soon as the old monk spoke, many voices immediately echoed his sentiments.

"That's right, I know who this person is. He is Wu Hua, the most representative of the younger generation of the Vajra Temple, but he has gone astray."

"That's right, that's right. Not only did they enter the mortal world, they were completely corrupted by it. Now they've returned to secular life, which is utterly shameful to us."

"How dare a lay disciple step in here? He has no manners at all. And this one over there, he's not a Buddhist or Daoist at all. You two get out of here and don't disturb this peaceful place."

Although these voices didn't contain a single swear word, they were still very jarring to the ear, as every word carried a sense of rejection.

The most annoying thing in this world is sarcasm and weirdness, and these old monks have taken it to the extreme.

Even with Wu Hua's composure, he couldn't help but twitch his brows upon hearing these words. To make matters worse, these people were all senior figures from the older generation. He clenched his fists, unsure of how to respond.

Xu Bai glanced at Wu Hua and asked, "Are there any people from your Vajra Temple here? Where is the abbot?"

Wu Hua took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger, before replying, "No, the abbot and the others probably haven't come out yet. They're probably still in the inner courtyard. After all, the representatives of the other Ten Great Temples are also in the inner courtyard. The only way to get to the inner courtyard is through this route."

Before Xu Bai could even speak, these words seemed to have stirred up a powder keg.

"You two still have the mind to chat here? Get out of here!"

"This is a sacred Buddhists site. Even if you wish to study the Saint Buddha Skeleton, you cannot enter at this time. Leave immediately."

"If you don't come out, don't blame this old monk for being rude!"

Xu Bai shrugged and said, "Then I can go all out."

Wu Hua was slightly taken aback, not understanding the meaning of Xu Bai's words.

How do we let go and free our hands and feet?

Are we really going to make a move here? No way...

Even though he understood Xu Bai's personality, he didn't believe Xu Bai would do something so heinous.

Of course, the next moment he understood what Xu Bai had done. Although he hadn't taken any action, he felt comfortable enough.

Xu Bai turned around to face the group of old monks, took a deep breath, then focused his energy in his dantian and roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

The voice was incredibly loud, and the moment it was spoken, the scene fell into an eerie silence.

"You old fogies, how can you be so unreasonable? We've come up here for a reason."

"You keep saying you're not good enough or can't do something, it's just so outdated and inflexible. Do you even think you're capable?"

"You utter nonsense, yes, that's right, I'm talking about you. You said the most just now. Come on, bark for me again."

A barrage of words, delivered like a machine gun, brought the group of monks to a standstill.

The best way to deal with those sarcastic and sarcastic people is not to respond in kind, but to simply hurl insults at them.

Although it ended up being a failure, it felt great.

Just enjoy yourself, what's the point of the dough? Is it even important?

For example, if someone is being sarcastic or sarcastic, and you respond with a vulgar curse, and they continue being sarcastic or sarcastic, you continue to use vulgar curses.

No matter what, you have the advantage.

Although it may seem a bit vulgar and give onlookers the impression that it's particularly unreasonable, as long as it makes them feel good, that's all that matters.

The scene fell silent after Xu Bai spoke. After a moment, the old monk who had been criticized by Xu Bai first stood up.

The old monk's face turned unusually red, not because he was in good health, but because he was angry.

He came from a medium-sized temple, not a major power but not a minor one either, yet he was being insulted like this by a young man. Anyone would find it unbearable.

"How dare you, you brat!"

The old monk raised his hand, no longer caring about the number 3927, and prepared to teach Xu Bai a small lesson.

As the hand was about to fall, Xu Bai calmly took out his token without dodging or avoiding it.

Xu Royal Token.

The hand remained frozen in front of Xu Bai, refusing to fall.

Xu Bai leaned forward and sneered, "What, you want to fight? You try hitting me, will you?"

The old monk's face stiffened, and he abruptly withdrew his hand.

How could they not understand what the token represents?

In fact, at the beginning, they were so angry that they didn't think much about Xu Bai's identity.

Now that I see this token, I've already guessed it.

—Xu Royal Token, Xu Bai.

The old monk's face turned ashen; he was caught between a rock and a hard place. In the end, he gritted his teeth, silently turned around, and returned to his original position.

Xu Bai's lips curled up as he glanced around, hands behind his back. "Now, who else dares to stop me?"

All the old monks present kept their mouths shut, and not one of them spoke.

They can't say.

If it were just a king of a different surname, then there would still be room for things to turn around.

But the person in front of me is not only a king of a different surname, but more importantly, his surname is Xu.

Having the surname Xu is enough.

Seeing that there was no sound around him, Xu Bai turned around and said, "Let's go."

Wu Hua was delighted to see the old monks get their comeuppance. After hearing Xu Bai's words, he continued to lead the way.

The two swaggered through the main hall and into the backyard, right in front of everyone.

Unlike the magnificent main hall, this backyard, though vast, exudes a sense of tranquility and serenity.

There is an artificial hill in the courtyard, with water flowing over it, like a crystal bead curtain cascading down. Behind the curtain, it seems as if someone is playing a zither, with the sound of music flowing from their fingertips.

Sometimes real, sometimes illusory, ever-changing, like a clear, secluded stream, exquisite and translucent.

Of course, while these views were refreshing for Xu Bai Xu Bai, what truly captivated him was a house not far ahead.

Without Wu Hua's introduction, Xu Bai knew that the leaders of the Ten Great Temples were all in that room.

He could already hear voices coming from inside the house.

Although the conversation wasn't very loud, Xu Bai could hear it clearly, and a strange expression appeared on his face.

"You're really crazy!"

"You're right, I agree, you really have something wrong with yourself!"

"It's one thing to have this problem when you're young. If you write it down in Buddhist scriptures, no one will care. They'll just treat it as a problem from when you were young. After all, no one would write their thoughts down in Buddhist scriptures."

"But you're so old now, and you still can't forget these shameful habits. I heard you even beat up your elders because of it. But look at what you're doing now, is that even human?"

"It's really weird to write your own annotations on the Sacred Buddha Remains."

The voices were focused and unified, mostly consisting of the Ten Great Temples ' verbal attacks on one of the individuals.

Xu Bai realized that the person being criticized was definitely the abbot of Vajra Temple.

As is well known, the abbot of Vajra Temple likes to annotate his own chuunibyou (delusional) views, to the point that social death is now quite serious.

But... even Xu Bai never expected this.

As one of the strongest beings, he actually wrote annotations on the Saint Buddha Skeleton.

Is this an occupational hazard? Just as Xu Bai was thinking this, the door was pushed open.

An old monk, holding up the hem of his robe, ran out.

Behind him, nine old monks stood with their fists raised menacingly.

We have to beat him up today!